That Voodoo that You Do
by Unobtainium Ghost
Summary: There are new students at Hogwarts as Harry and the gang go into their fifth year. One of them belongs to a set of triplets that includes Draco Malfoy. What's more, there's love in the air, and suspicions too!
1. Meeting

THAT VOODOO THAT YOU DO

Meeting

**Three Weeks into Classes**

      Ron Weasley made his way through the crowded Great Hall to sit down at his usual spot at the Gryffindor table.  His two best friends, Harry and Hermione, were already digging into the feast the house-elves had served up.  He plopped down on the bench and grinned at Harry, who was sat across from him.  "Ruddy good Quidditch game, Harry," he said breathlessly.  "Gryffindor _slaughtered_ Slytherin!  _Again_!  We'll win the House Cup for sure!"

      "And did you see Malfoy's face!" Harry grinned around his forkful of potatoes.  "The Snitch was hovering right on top of his head! I don't think he knew what hit him!"

      "And I doubt he will for the next week," a feminine voice drawled suddenly.  Ron jerked his head up, noticing Harry's whipping around at the same time.  A girl about their age stood there, her ice-blue eyes holding the oddest combination of arrogance and jovial amusement.  "Good job, I'd say, Potter."  

She flipped her long white-blonde braid over her shoulder, and smirked.  "I've always wanted to see Draco cross-eyed and goofy-grinned.  I owe you thanks.  I laughed a good long while after the match."

      "And you are..?" Hermione asked acidly. 

      "Epiphany," the girl said and eyed Ron with interest.  "Hello there."  She smiled brightly.  "I'll be seeing ~you~ around."  She turned and walked away, her long braid swinging across her back in a hypnotic fashion. 

      Ron watched her go, his face turning the color of his hair.  "Merlin, she's cute," he breathed.  He gave Harry a stupid-looking grin. "And did you hear that? She said she'd be seeing me around! OW!" He turned to glare at Hermione who had just smacked him across the shoulder.  "What was that for?" 

      "Honestly," she said in exasperation, replacing her hand on the table.  "Weren't you paying attention to anything but her looks?"  She gave Ron a superior stare.  "She wasn't talking to you.  She was talking to Harry."

      A stupid-looking grin spread across Harry's face. "To me?" he asked, pointing at his chest. 

      Hermione rolled her eyes.  "Another one," she muttered, then pinned Harry with an irritated gaze.  "It wasn't a promise," she snapped.  "It was a threat!" 

      "A threat?" Ron started laughing.  "Oh come on, Hermione...a threat? From Epiphany? Right!" 

      "Didn't she look familiar to you two?" 

      Ron and Harry exchanged looks. "A little," Ron admitted grudgingly. 

      "Didn't you notice she's a Malfoy?" Hermione pressed. 

      Ron's face fell.  "A Malfoy?" he asked.  "Are you sure?" 

      Tight-lipped, Hermione raised her hand and pointed across the Great Hall.  Ron followed her finger to where Draco and his minions sat at the Slytherin table.  The girl, Epiphany, was standing behind Draco, laughing at something one of his companions was saying.  Even at that distance, the resemblance was unmistakable.  "Merlin," Ron breathed again.  "I didn't know Draco had a sister!" 

      "He has two," Hermione said quietly, and pointed again.  Ron had to look twice to be sure Epiphany hadn't suddenly moved.  "They're triplets," she continued, and her finger moved as she named them off.  "Draco, Epiphany, and that one there is Vanessa."

      "_Three_ Malfoys?" Ron squeaked. 

      Hermione nodded grimly. "For the price of one.  Now do you understand why I said she was talking to Harry?"

      Harry sighed through his nose, and pushed his glasses back up onto the bridge.  "Looks like Hogwarts just got a little more interesting," he said. 

      "Yeah," Ron agreed sarcastically.  "As if giant spiders, Death Eaters, Dementors, You-Know-Who, Hagrid's monsters, a murderer for a godfather, and ~one~ Malfoy aren't enough.  I dunno what's worse."  He stared wistfully across the room to where Epiphany was now sitting at the Slytherin table, unaware that his eyes had kept track of her.  He sighed.  "Too bad.  She's awfully cute."

**    **

"Pippy, what were you talking to Potter about?" Draco demanded.  He was half-turned around in his chair in order to properly glare at Epiphany.  The effect would have been more effective if it weren't for the white bandage holding his hair off his forehead, giving him the air of an escaped psychopath.  "Why did you stop at the Gryffindor table?"

            Epiphany rolled her eyes.  Draco and his petty jealousies…At first it had been amusing, now it was merely annoying.  She hitched her satchel up onto her shoulder.  "Would you believe nothing?"

"No!"

"Didn't think so.  I heard your name mentioned, dear brother," she said.  "That's all."

            "What was being said?"

            Epiphany's eyes glittered with glee.  "Oh I didn't hear the entire conversation, Draco," she said sweetly.  "The part I caught mentioned you being a…oh, how was it worded…oh yes.  A 'ruddy git who couldn't pick his nose without permission from Snape.'"

            "What?!  What did you say to that?"

            She shrugged.  "What could I say?" she asked, starting to walk down to her usual place at the Slytherin table.  "I agreed, of course."

Draco's roar of frustration followed her as she marched to her dinner, giggling.  As she passed a group of students milling around, her friend Anamelia detached herself and fell into step with her.  "What's new, Pip?" she asked without a backward glance for the flock of boys she'd just deserted.

            "Not much since I saw you before the match," Epiphany replied, and then lowered her voice.  "Are you still using Love Charms on the boys from Hufflepuff, Ana?"

            Anamelia giggled and nodded.  "Yep," she said, without regret. "The Hufflepuffs are the easiest to charm."

            "You know what the faculty will do to you if they find out.  Expulsion, or worse.  Azkaban."

            Anamelia shrugged.  "They'll have to catch me," she said.  "I need the practice for the Gryffindor boys. You know that Gryffindors are harder to snare.  Besides, why are you worried about rules?  You're a ~Malfoy~.  Malfoys don't really care for rules all that much."

            Epiphany repressed a sigh as they reached their seats and sat down.  "Well, ~this~ Malfoy cares.  ~This~ Malfoy wants her education, preferably in Hogwarts." She made a face.  "I don't want to have to go to Durmstrang or – god forbid – back to Beauxbatons."

            "Well, that's a different tune.  Last semester, you were all for going to Durmstrang," Ana said.  "Something about spending holidays with your siblings was enough, and you didn't need to see them the rest of the year..?"

            Epiphany shrugged, and filled her plate with fruit salad.  "Things change," she said.  After a moment, she found herself staring at the redheaded boy at the Gryffindor table.  She shook her head clear, wondering why she was so interested in the redhead.  She'd almost been unable to take her eyes off him from the moment she'd seen him.  His head was up, but she was unable to tell if he was looking in her direction or not.  

"You know pretty much everyone's name in Hogwarts, don't you, Ana?"

            The pretty brunette shrugged and reached for a breadstick.  "Yeah.  So?"

            Epiphany pointed with her fork.  "Who's that at the Gryffindor table?"

            Ana craned her neck to follow Epiphany's gesture.  "Oh, that?  I'm surprised you don't know.  That's Harry Potter."

            "Not ~him~! The one sitting across the table from him!"

            Ana gave her friend an appraising look.  "Weasley?" she asked, amused.  "He is cute, I'll give you that.  And he has connections."  She waggled her eyebrows suggestively.  "What's the interest?"

            "He just caught my eye, Ana.  That's all."

            Ana sighed.  "You wound me.  You could at least tell me you're interested in him.  You know I have to live my life vicariously."

            Epiphany started laughing.  "You, live your life through my experiences? Yeah right.  You have enough ~experience~ for all the fifth year girls in Slytherin House!"

            Ana stiffened.  "Are you suggesting what I think you're suggesting, Epiphany Malfoy?"

            "I'm not suggesting anything, Ana," she said soothingly, and Ana relaxed.  A giggle burst from Epiphany's lips. "I'm flat out saying it. OW! You didn't have to hit me that hard!"

            Ana grinned evilly.  "I'm surprised you haven't heard of him before this…he's always with Potter.  Mmm…now ~there's~ a Gryffindor lad I'd love to practice my Charms on…" She had a dreamy look on her face.  Epiphany let her daydream for a few moments before slapping her sharply on the arm.  

"The redhead?" she reminded pointedly.

"Oh yes.  His name's Ron Weasley.  He's Potter's best friend, and is, as you guessed, in Gryffindor."  She bit into her second breadstick, looking thoughtful. "You might want to be careful around the girl sitting beside him though.  ~Her~ name's Hermione Granger.  A Mudblood.  Rumor has it she's hot for Weasley, and she's undoubtedly the best in the school at curses and hexes."  She paused.  "Uh-oh. Here comes your sister."

            Epiphany looked away from her study of Ron Weasley in time to meet Vanessa's eyes as her sister passed with her plate laden down.

            "Epiphany," Vanessa said politely.

            "Vanessa," Epiphany replied evenly.  Her eyes followed her sister until Vanessa sat down amongst her own friends several seats away.  Then she returned her gaze to the Gryffindor table, with her attention half on what Ana was saying.

            "What's with you two?" Ana asked, taking another bite of her breadstick.  "I've always wondered.  Even though you and Draco take snipes at each other, there's a little bit of warmth there.  With you and Vanessa…" She shrugged.  "You're doubles, but you couldn't be more different, personality-wise, that is."

            Epiphany grinned.  "We have an understanding, Ana," she said.  "Draco's my evil twin." The grin widened.  "Have you ever met an evil twin's evil twin?  Well, that's Nessa."

            "Ah.  I see."  Ana didn't sound convinced.  "Why did you want to know about Ron Weasley?" she asked.

            Without answering, Epiphany rose.  She swiped a plum from the bowl of fruit in the middle of the table, and tucked it into the front pouch of her satchel. "Ron Weasley," she said to herself, then spared her best friend a warm smile.  "Thanks, Ana, I owe you."

            "I know," her friend said.  "Repayable in details, girl. Wait! Where are you going?"

            Epiphany turned around, walking backwards.  "Got things to do!" she called.  "Talk to you later, Ana."

**    **

Author's Note:  The characters from the Harry Potter books belong to JK Rowling.  Epiphany Malfoy is my own creation, and Vanessa Malfoy belongs to Vanessa.  Ana also belongs to me.  Thank you.  R/R, people!


	2. Hermione the Spy

THAT VOODOO THAT YOU DO

Chapter Two: Hermione the Spy

**Three Days Before Halloween**

**Potions Class**

                Professor Snape circled his fifth-year class like a vulture, sharp eyes watching for any sign of mistakes, or disruptive behavior.  His long black robes flapped behind him as he stalked angrily around the room.  Even the Slytherins were keeping their mouths shut -- and that was saying something.  Usually, they took every opportunity to harrass their Gryffindor classmates, but with Snape in his current mood, he was just as likely to deduct points from his own House as his rivals'.

                "Mister Longbottom!" he roared, and the entire class jumped in fright.  Neville turned a terrified expression to the teacher, his bottom lip quivering.  Snape seized Neville's beaker.  The potion that should have been black was a sickly green, and bubbled where it should have foamed.  "How many times do I have to tell you!  A pinch of snakeroot and then weasel tongue!  Not a pinch of weasel tongue and then snakeroot! You are impossible to teach, Mister Longbottom!  Get out of my class!"

                Not bothering to make sure Neville had complied with his order, he turned around and began his silent circling again.  He stopped beside a pair of girls -- Epiphany Malfoy and her partner, Anamelia Herran -- and scowled at their work.  "Excellent work, Miss Malfoy, Miss Herran."  And he moved on, his eyes roving for his next victim.                Harry leaned in towards Ron and Hermione on the pretext of shredding his wormwood.  "You know why Snape's in so foul a mood, don't you?" he asked quietly.

                Hermione ground aconite with her mortar and pestle.  "It's probably because he didn't get DADA _again_ this year.  Does the man ever grow up?"  She glanced up from beneath her lashes to check on the teacher's position in the room, and let out a startled gasp.  Snape was striding towards the table, a malicious gleam in his eyes.  "He's coming this way!"  Out of habit, she glanced around, making sure everything was in order, and gasped again as she looked Ron's way.  

                Whereas she and Harry had the majority of their work done, their potions quietly starting to foam, Ron's was still largely unprepared ingredients scattered on the table in front of him.  Ron himself was staring at the white-blonde braid of Epiphany Malfoy.  His mouth was slightly open and his eyes were decidedly glassy.

                "Ron!" Harry hissed.  "Ron! Snape's coming!"

                "Hmm?"

                Harry and Hermione exchanged glances.  Harry shrugged helplessly. Hermione's mouth tightened.  Picking up the pipette she'd been using to add salamander bile to her potion, she jabbed Ron sharply in the ribs. 

                Ron jumped.  "'Ey! What was that for?" he growled, rubbing the sore spot on his side.  

                "Stop staring at that Epiphany Malfoy and get to work! Snape..." Hermione pointed with the pipette.  Ron followed her gesture, and turned white under his freckles.  Hurriedly, he began to dice his snakeroot, plopping it haphazardly into his beaker.  

                Snape halted beside the table, his eyes unnaturally bright.  "Well, what do we have here, Mister Weasley?  You haven't even _attempted_ the assignment.  Are we impinging on your nap time? Do you have somewhere else in mind you'd rather be?"

                "N-n-no, sir," Ron stuttered, looking wildly up at Snape.  "I just...I'm having problems with my potion.  That's it, sir, I swear.  I love this class, sir."

                "Five points from                Gryffindor for sarcasm!" Snape snapped, staring at Ron like a cat stared at a particularly plump mouse.  "And you will see me after class for detention! Is that clear, Mister Weasley?"

                Ron looked back down at his ingredients.  "Yes sir," he muttered, feeling his face burn as bright as his hair.  Snape remained beside the table for another moment, then nodded curtly and walked away.  Cautiously, he looked to see if anyone was watching him, but even the Slytherins didn't have the nerve to look away from their work in case Snape's wrath descended on them.  Glaring at Snape's back, he made a rude gesture, then froze. Epiphany was staring right at him, a half-smile on her face.  

                Ron felt the bottom drop out of his stomach.  The sensation intensified when Epiphany turned back to her table and spoke to her partner in a flurry of heated, whispered conversation.  She smiled back at him, then rose from her seat and walked to the front of the class.  She stopped beside the professor, and spoke in low tones.  Snape looked up sharply at Ron, and his expression turned hard. He crooked one finger, and gestured for Ron to approach.

                He grimaced, and shot a glance at Hermione and Harry.  Hermione looked smug.  "I guess she turned out to be a Malfoy after all, Ron," she said.

                "Whatever," Ron muttered, leaving his things at the table to walk to the front of the room.  He kept his head down, refusing to meet either of the gazes he could feel burning into his forehead.

                "Mister Weasley," Snape said coldly.  "I've decided on your detention."

                "What will it be, sir?" Ron asked sullenly.  "Am I de-horning horned toads this time?  Or is it distilling salamander bile again?"

                "That can be arranged, Mister Weasley, unless you watch your tongue and show respect!" Snape snarled. "No, your detention will be with Miss Malfoy, who will be tutoring you in Potions, since you are having so much trouble with a simple Darkness Potion."

                Ron opened his mouth to protest, but found Epiphany looking intently at him.  He swallowed his objections and nodded. His heart started pounding; Epiphany's ice-blue eyes seemed to be casting a charm on him.  "Okay," he said, eyes wide with surprise.  "I'll take the tutoring, sir."

                He didn't know who looked more shocked, Snape or Epiphany.  Or perhaps it was himself.  He didn't know.

**           **

                Hermione was still pacing the corridor outside Snape's dungeon an hour and a half after classes had ended for the day.  Harry had stayed with her for forty-five minutes, and then left for Quidditch practice.  Snape himself had passed them by over an hour ago, snarling something to the effect of "clear the corridor or ten points each off gryffindor", but they'd ignored his commands in rarely shown open defiance.

                "I'm not leaving Ron alone with that Malfoy creature for more than I have to," Hermione had griped then, and had repeated it to herself several times since. "How much longer are they going to be?"  Hermione  stared at the door which had been frustratingly closed since Snape had departed.

                Footsteps announced the arrival of several people.  "Oh, I don't say they'll be much longer, Granger, since you were wondering," a voice that sounded like Epiphany's said.  Hermione turned round to see a girl he assumed was Vanessa, Epiphany's almost-exact double, save only for the greenish streak in her hair and the differently-colored eyes.  She smirked at him, her eyes cool and superior.  "Pip told me she'd be done around now." She glanced at her watch and smiled.

                As if that action had been a summons, the door opened, and the two students who'd been closeted in the dungeon for ninety minutes came out, laughing and chatting.  Epiphany halted, her eyes showing surprise at either Hermione's or Vanessa's presence in the hall.  "Granger," she said, a chill in her tone.  She turned her head to smile knowingly at her sister.  "Nessa.  Be right with you.  Same time tomorrow, Ron?"

                The redheaded boy was grinning like someone had split his face from earlobe to earlobe.  "Sure!" he said enthusiastically -- too enthusiastically for Hermione's peace of mind.  Her eye began to twitch.   "Thanks again, Pip.  You're bloody brilliant with Potions, did you know that?"

                She smiled demurely.  "Snape says that all the time, but I don't know.  I guess I just have a knack for it."  She looked askance at Hermione, and her words held a slight barb.  "My curses and hexes are pretty decent, if you need help in more than one subject."

                "Sure!  Oh, you any good at Divination?" Ron asked.

                Epiphany laughed, throwing her head back.  "No," she said.  "Trelawney says I don't have 'the Inner Eye', so I steer clear of the old bat.  Who is she to tell a Malfoy what she can and cannot do?"

                Hermione smiled and straightened, expecting Ron to lose his good humor at this blatant show of egotism, and back away.  But the idiot just grinned wider -- how did he _do_ that? -- and laughed a little.  "Yeah.  I usually just make up my predictions.  Trelawney likes it when you face death unflinchingly."

                They laughed again.  Hermione was aggravated to discover that, not only was her eyelid twitching like a hyperactive metronome, a vein in her temple was throbbing in time to the tic.  

"Maybe next semester, you could give up Divination.  Snape teaches a class, Advanced Potions at the same time.  It's a lot of work, but it's worth it."

"Nah…I'm not good enough at _basic_ potions.  He'll never let me into an advanced class."

"Oh, I'm sure I could talk him into it."

"Really?  You think so?"

Vanessa cleared her throat.

                Epiphany glanced up, the look in her eyes saying she'd forgotten there were others in the hall.  "Oops," she said unrepentantly, and hitched her bag higher on her shoulder.  "Gotta go, Ron.  See you tomorrow." She started walking; when she had reached her triplet, Vanessa fell into step with her.  Ron's mouth was slightly open as he watched the two blondes disappear down the hall, corners curved upwards in the same stupid smile he'd worn since he'd first noticed Epiphany noticing him.

                Hermione didn't bother to wait until the two girls were out of sight before she rounded on Ron.  "Pip?!" she exploded.  

                Ron shrugged.  "That's what everyone calls her."

                "We're not everyone!" Hermione raged, her face almost the same shade as Ron's hair.  "Or have you forgotten we're Gryffindors!  And that she's a Slytherin! Worse, a _Malfoy_!  She threatened Harry!"

                "Did it ever occur to you that maybe, just maybe, she was talking to me, Hermione?" Ron shouted back.  "Or am I worth nothing except a way to hurt Harry?  Huh, Hermione? Am I relegated back to sidekick? Aah...there's no use talking to you.  I'm going back to the House.  I have homework."  And with that, he stalked off.

                Hermione stared after him speechlessly, wondering what had gotten into him.  He'd never snapped at her before, not over some little Slytherin with big blue eyes, anyways.  She squared her shoulders

**           **

                After a disastrous attempt to speak to Ron at dinner that evening, Hermione had fled to the library, and spent the rest of the hours until lights out sniffling into a thick book on medieval witch hunters.  The library was deserted, save for her and the odd librarian who swept by on her rounds.  Hermione sniffed again, and swiped at her nose with a tissue.  Why was Ron behaving so…foolishly, so unlike himself? 

                "Hermione, are you in here?" came Harry's unmistakable voice.

                She sniffed once more, and cleared her throat.  "Back here, Harry."

                Harry peered around the bookshelf and smiled faintly.  "There you are.  I've been looking everywhere.  What are you doing here?"

                Hermione shrugged and sighed.  She closed the book, being careful to mark her place.  "Hiding?" she tried. "I tried to talk to Ron at supper…"

                Harry grinned in sympathy, slipping past the shelves to sit with her.  "I heard."

                "Why won't he listen?" she burst out.  "Epiphany _can't_ be interested in him! She's a _Malfoy_! That whole family has it out for you, and everyone knows that Ron's your best friend!"

                Harry's smile faded, and he laced his fingers together.  "To be honest, Hermione, I don't see how she could be doing it.  She's not using a Love Charm – there are always signs for those kinds of things, and he's not showing any." He spread his hands.  "What's left?"

                Hermione frowned, thinking.  "Potions!" she said, her eyes brightening.  "She's using a potion on him!"

                "Potions?" Harry looked skeptical.  "Snape doesn't teach us anything like what you're suggesting."

                "But you weren't there!  She said something about Advanced Potions, a class Snape teaches at the same time as Divination.  She takes that class, and I'll bet all the money in Gringott's that she learned a Beguiling Potion in that class!"

                Harry shook his head, and opened his mouth, but two voices cut him off.

                "Did you see the look on Granger's face?" one giggled.

                The other, sounding suspiciously like the first, giggled too.  "I know.  She looked like she was going to have a _fit___!"

                Harry glowered, and made to stand, but Hermione grabbed the hem of his sweater.  When he looked quizzically at her, she shook her head. "Epiphany and Vanessa," she mouthed, pointing at the shelves.  "Shh…"

                "Filthy Mudbloods," one of the girls said dismissively.  "I don't know why Dumbledore lets them in.  Must be senility.  Anyway.  Have you decided what you're doing your History of Magic essay on, Pip?"

                There was a murmur.  "Hmm…I'm considering the topic of voodoo.  The Restricted Section has an excellent variety of material."

                "Voodoo?" There was an interested note in Vanessa's voice.  "Really?  Is that what you did to Weasley?"

                "Oh, give over, Nessa.  I wouldn't do a thing like that."  There was a pause, and then both girls broke out laughing.  Then came the sounds of several books being slipped from their shelves, and the two Slytherins walked out of the library.

                Harry and Hermione exchanged wide-eyed looks.  "Voodoo?" Harry asked weakly.  "Would voodoo explain the way Ron's been acting lately?"

                "I don't know." Hermione had a grim look on her face.  "But I'm going to find out."

**           **

AN Disclaimer in Chapter One. R/R, peeps!


End file.
